time to cook for colder weather

[mint]

Not that it's cold, not yet, but I have been thinking of cooking things that give you a warm, comfortable feeling inside.

So, last night, a pumpkin, carrot, potato and onion soup (not vegetables chosen especially but what I could find in the fridge).  Large dash of cream and it was filling and hit the spot.

Today, salmon en croute and roast vegetable for OH, and meat balls in tomato sauce and pasta for me.

Then fig tart for both of us (though I haven't had any) and a large, spicy apple cake to be eaten later and some to be taken to my "tea-time" café associatif tomorrow afternoon.

Any ideas for cold weather treats, svp?

[idun]

Certainly getting cold where we used to live, my belle-fille has been wearing her down doudoune already.

Nights are drawing in and we had a chicken and leek broth with chive dumplings tonight. Pear and walnut cake and egg custard later, or tomorrow.

Made a fabulous soup with marrow last week, had it in only because our friend's allotment had a surfeit. I also raided the fridge to go with it, so used a soft apple, little sweet corn, little potato, two big onions, carrot and a touch of garlic. Used beef stock, pinch of nutmeg, a little vinegar and some tomato puree when it was nearly cooked, seasoned it well, and liquidised it. And after I had liquidised it, added a small can of condensed milk, never use cream in soups. I had just thought it would be edible, but it was truly delicious.

[mint]

Miam...........lovely ideas, id, as I would expect from you.

Might try condensed milk next time I make a "cream of" type soup.  That should be rich and add  a touch of sweetness.

For a bland sort of soup, say leek and potato or cream of cauliflower, I find a teaspoon of curry powder (any old sort and no need to go grinding spices specially[:P]) add a touch of warmth and colour. 

[idun]

!!! NOOOOOO !!!!!  (mes sinceres excuses[:$])

I meant evaporated milk, NOT CONDENSED, please don't ruin food on my account.

I do sweeten slightly though, as when using tomatoes or even wine, I do put a pinch of sugar in dishes.

[Gardengirl]

Reading about using condensed milk took me back years, but then !!!!!NOOOOOO !!!!! Woke me up even more than I already was! One of those nights..........

Fig tart, Mint, oh how I've missed such figgy delights; I normally buy whole trays of figs, but the prices here in England put me off buying them. I usually visit the fig festival at a nearby village each year, stalls of everything figgy, fig menus, fig trees etc etc, a really lovely day.

I've been into autumnal meals too, did a big chicken casserole followed by apple crumble and custard on Saturday for the family- deliciously filling. Our 5 year old granddaughter helped pick the apples and did some of the slicing - and her favourite food is custard (when it's not chocolate!) so she was a very happy girl.

[vivienz]

I'm stocking up my freezer with some of my own 'ready meals'.  OH has cut down on meat since the start of the year but I remain a staunch carnivore and so I find it easier to continue to make about 4 portions of everything but then box it up and freeze it.  Last week I made lambs liver, bacon and onions in gravy with mashed potato and savoy cabbage.  I'd forgotten how delicious it was!  I don't think that my remaining 3 portions will last for very long.

Leek, potato and fennel soup is on the cards for tonight, along with some home-made walnut bread, then apple sponge.  We scrumped the apples yesterday evening whilst out for a walk by the river - there are a couple of bountiful apple trees there and the ground is covered with rotting apples, so we gave them a good shake and returned home with about 3kg.  I've been contemplating the joys of a fish pie for later this week, too.  Yum.  I may even use condensed, no, EVAPORATED milk in the sauce!

[Cendrillon]

Garden Girl did you receive an email I sent you weeks ago?

Food,

Now the days are cooler and I've finished wandering the Camino Frances I'm enjoying cooking and eating real food, jacket potatoes, cauliflower cheese and homemade soups.

Simple pleasures.?

[mint]

[quote user="idun"]!!! NOOOOOO !!!!!  (mes sinceres excuses[:$])

I meant evaporated milk, NOT CONDENSED, please don't ruin food on my account.

I do sweeten slightly though, as when using tomatoes or even wine, I do put a pinch of sugar in dishes.

[/quote]

Oops, oops, oops, Id, I do beg your pardon, please don't have a heart attack on my account!  I did mean evaporated and not condensed so don't know where the condensed came from!!!

Years ago, I remember an elderly lady telling me, oh, I do like that CORONATION milk!  I think she meant CARNATION milk..................[:)]

And now I am that elderly lady, getting my words mixed up[+o(]

[EmilyA]

We don't have puddings, cakes or refined carbs for health reasons in this house, so soups and casseroles feature a lot.

Recent winter food has included a hearty oxtail casserole and lamb shanks with borlotti beans. Tonight we are having a tagine with leftover guinea-fowl, butternut squash, jerusalem artichokes and courgettes from the garden.

I also cook a lot of curries and Middle Eastern dishes (obviously avoiding rice and couscous).

[mint]

Replying to several posters at the same time..........after all, I have to go and get the lunch on!

Vivienz, having had a husband who doesn't eat meat, I too do a few portions at once and freeze.  Only thing is fish (which OH does eat) which I don't feel freezes well once cooked[:(]

Recently, I have kept a stock of nuts and seeds, walnuts obviously as they are all over the ground here, brazils, almonds (flaked and whole) and pumpkin, sunflower, sesame etc seeds.  For example, leftover rice can be combined with seeds and nuts, chopped onions, chopped herbs and some grated cheese and use to stuff peppers and aubergines and courgettes and baked.

Flaked almonds are wonderful to put crunch into cakes, added to cereals, added to vegetable curries, sprinkled on casseroles, etc etc.  Lidl does them in packs at very reasonable prices.

Nuts and seeds add protein and seem to me to be infinitely useful.

EmilyA, could you give a recipe for lamb Middle Eastern style, stp?  I have a large leg of lamb in the freezer and I should like to roast it and then use the leftovers to do a dish with apricots and possibly other dried fruits?

[EmilyA]

Not really a recipe but here goes.

I have a tagine (Emile Henri) which keeps it all very moist with a minimum of liquid, but any old casserole will do.

I chop onion, garlic and meat and add spices - normally raz-al-hanout but you could use cumin, coriander, turmeric, saffron etc. Leave it for an hour or two to pick up the spice flavour.

Vegetables are normally a selection from squash, courgettes, aubergine, beans (any kind), tomatoes etc etc

I either add chopped dried dates / apricots and a teaspoon of honey or preserved lemon and olives. Lamb would be the former, with fish or chicken the latter.

Towards the end I add nuts and some chopped spinach or chard.

I add just a bit of water, cover tightly and cook for an hour or two, depending on the meat. With fish I cook the tagine and then pop the fish in for the last few minutes until cooked.

[Cendrillon]

I love my tagines. I have 3 ! A small Pillivuyt one in our little gite. A cream and blue French one (make unknown) in Fr. house and this was the start of tagline cooking for me. I too have an Emile Henry huge tagine in the U.K. The Emile Henry tagine was, a free gift a few years ago with Super U points . I also had one of the E H casserole dishes but sadly that cracked. ?

In France with no dishwasher the tagine is a good way of cooking / serving food and saving washing up.?

[Loiseau]

I did a SCRUMMY butternut soup last week, with cumin and chilli. It's a Nigella recipe, so probably Google-able. You have to roast the quartered squash and spices first, which intensifies the flavour wonderfully.

Interesting idea about the evaporated milk, Idun. I will give that a try in a "creamy" soup next time. The only thing I use it for these days is chocolate fudge. Now THERE's something delicious for winter!!

Angela

[mint]

Chocolate fudge indeed, tut, tut, tut, Loiseau.  I bet you only make that to torture poor old banane[:P]

[idun]

I too love Emile Henri cookware, some of the best I have ever bought.

I don't own a tagine, but I do make some north African dishes, I rarely buy 'special' cooking pots for specific things, just use what I have.

[Loiseau]

Alas, mint, you are right...

For that very reason, I have not made it for ages. It would be just TOOOO tempting for a certain person :-(

[woolybanana]

SADISTS, SADISTS ALL OF YOU. I bet Norman never gets treated so badly!

It was a mean butternut soup by the way. I m slavering at the thought of it.